Strainer cleaning device



Aug. 22, 1939.

STRAINER CLEANING DEVICE Filed July 3, 1935 w. B. KIRK 2,170,081

E SheefS-Shee'c 1 (O INVENTOR WALTER Ia. KIRK Aug. 22, 1939. w, EIRK 2,170,081

I STRAINER CLEANING DEVICE Filed July 5, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WALTER a. KIRK ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 22, 1939 Walter B. Kirk, East McKeesport, Pa., assignor to The Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Wilmerding, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 3, 1935, Serial No. 29,634

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a strainer cleaning device and more particularly to a machine for cleaning cartridge type strainers.

- My invention has application to cleaning car- '5 tridge type curled hair strainers such as those commonly used in brake pipe ports of brake valve devices on fluid pressure brakeequipment.

'Such strainersprolongthe life of brake valve devices by keeping dust'and dirt from entering 10 the various chambers and coming into contact with the Wearing surfaces thereof, and require cleaning at intervals in order to increase their length of useful-service.

It is an object of this invention to provide l5 an efl'icient, .economical and easily operable cleaning device for removing dirt particles and undesirable foreign matter from strainers of the cartridge type in a minimum amount of time to thus recondition the strainer and maintain it in continued service.

Other advantages and objects of the invention will appear from the following description of one preferred embodiment of the invention when read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which 1 Fig. 1 is a view in longitudinal vertical section of a strainer cleaning device organized in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a view in transverse section taken 0 along the line 2-2 of Fig; 1,

Fig. 3 is a side view of an annular cartridge type curled hair strainer with a portion broken away,

Fig. 4 is an end view of the strainer shown in 5 Fig. 3, and a Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cleaner device with a strainer positioned therein ready to be cleaned.

Referring to the drawings, and more par- 0 ticularly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, the strainer cleaner device comprises a casing having a body portion I, and end portions 2 and 3 attached thereto by any suitable means, such as screws 5, and by bolts 6 which also serve to secure the 5 device to a suitable supporting base 4. A casing -l is also provided, that is attached to the base and extends downwardly therefrom to provide an air outlet leading from the bottom of the strainer cleaning device.

) A doorror member 8 is attached to one end of the strainer cleaning device by the hinged pivot pin 9. The door or member 8 is movable on the hinge pin 9 between an open or loading position, and a closed. or operating position, while the i door.8 is p QV ded with an inner closure portion 24 extending from the door 8.

H, having beveled edges. I2 for engaging corresponding beveled edges l3 of the end plate 3 to form a tight joint when the door is closed. The closure member H is provided with a raised annular rib I 4 that fits loosely into an annular zl recess in the end of the strainer in the manner shown in Fig. 5, and is provided with a central recess l5 for receiving the inner end of a fluid pressure conduit or pipe l6 extending centrally through the body of the casing portion from the 10 end wall 2 and connected by a suitable pipe IT to a source of fluid under pressure. One or more slots I8 is provided in the central air conduit l6 extending substantially the length of the casing for ejecting fiuid under pressure axially through the strainer. The end wall 2 is provided With an annular raised rib portion I 9 corresponding to the annular raised portion [4 on the inner side of the door 8.

A raised portion 2| is provided on the upper part of the casing for engaging a latch 22 carried by the pivot pin 23 mounted in the bracket A handle 25 is provided having a stem 26 extending through a bore 2'! in the door 8 and about which a spring 25 23 is positioned between the door and the outer end of the latch 22 to force the latch in a counterclockwise direction about the pin 23 to the position shown in Fig. 5 to maintain the door latched in its closed or operating position. 8.0

A longitudinal opening 3| is provided in the body of the casing I to which is attached a nozzle member 32 by any suitable means such as the screws 34, and is formed to terminate at its inner, end to provide a longitudinal slot 35 ex- 35 tending the length of the casing, and positioned to eject a thin stream of air tangentially on a screen or strainer positioned about the pipe I 6 within the casing. The other end of the member 32 is connected by a pipe 33 to a suitable source of fluid under pressure.

, Figs. 3 and 4 show a cartridge type strainer of the general character intended to be cleaned in the strainer cleaning device. The strainer device is preferably tubular in form and comprises an inner tubular retainer 31 preferably formed of wire mesh having outwardly directed end lugs 38, and also comprises a similar outer tubular wire mesh retainer 39 which surrounds and is spaced from the retainer 31 and is provided with in wardly directed end lugs 40, there being a substantial annular space between the lugs 38 and 4 0.

The blank of wire mesh from which the retainers 3! and 39 are formed is made of a width (ill equal to the length of the finished strainer device, the strands of the mesh which extend in the direction of the width of the blank projecting beyond each side of the blank to form the bendable lugs 38 and 40. The wire mesh may be made of rust resisting material or it may be made of steel and galvanized.

Surrounding the inner retainer 31 is a sleeve El of porous material which, in the present embodiment of the invention, is of relatively thin felt so as not to offer any substantial resistance to the flow of fluid therethrough. The space between the sleeve 4! and the outer retainer 39 is packed with a suitable straining material, such as curled hair 46, which is confined at the ends of the strainer by means of relatively thick washers 42 and 43 made preferably of felt and which are retained in position by the lugs 38 and id. The felt washers are curved inwardly to form annular recesses M to receive annular ribs for holding the strainer in place in the brake valve device when in use.

When the cartridge strainer is placed within the casing, as shown in Fig. 5, the raised annular ribs I9 and M on the end plate 2 and door 8, respectively, are positioned loosely within the recesses 44 adjacent the felt end washers of the strainer for the purpose of preventing the air or similar fluid under pressure emitted from the slot I8 in the pipe Hi from passing around the end of the strainer instead of through it. These end ribs M and 19 are, however, sufliciently loose so as not to bind the strainer or prevent it from revolving freely on the pipe 16, which acts as a bearing about which the strainer is revolved as a result of the stream of fluid under pressure being ejected from the longitudinal slot 35 in the casing wall of the strainer cleaning device.

When fluid under pressure, such as air, is ejected from the longitudinal slot I3 in the pipe I6 this will pass radially outwardly through the strainer, that is in the reverse direction from which fluid under pressure normally passes through the strainer when in service, and tends to drive any dust or dirt that is collected in the strainer outwardly therefrom. This action is aided also by the stream of air flowing from the longitudinal slot 35 tangentially against the strainer, which causes the strainer to revolve rapidly about the pipe [6, thus subjecting all portions of the strainer to the jet of air being emitted from the slot H1 in the pipe i6, and also providing a centrifugal force which aids in throwing the dust and dirt from the strainer.

While one preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications and changes in the apparatus illustrated may be made within the spirit of my invention, and I do not wish to be limited otherwise than by the scope of the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the class described, a body having a chamber having an opening in a wall thereof through which a strainer element may be inserted, the wall of said chamber opposite said opening having a member projecting therefrom adapted to extend into and support a strainer element for rotation about its axis, said wall of said chamber having an annular flange thereon extending into said chamber, said flange being arranged substantially concentric of said member and being adapted to extend into an annular recess in the end of a strainer element mounted on said member, said body having a door associated therewith and adapted to close the opening in the wall of said chamber, said door having an annular flange thereon which is disposed substantially concentric of said member when the door is in its closed position, the flange on said door being adapted to extend into an annular recess in the end of a strainer element mounted on said member, said member having associated therewith means for supplying fluid under pressure to the area within a strainer element'mounted thereon, and means for rotating said strainer element in said chamber at a "rapid rate,'whereby substantial centrifugal force is developed tending to dislodge foreign material embedded in said strainer element and to cause said foreign material to move radially outwardly through said strainer element, the flanges on the door and on the wall of said chamber being adapted to prevent undesired escape of fluid around the ends of the strainer element but not to press against the strainer element to materially oppose rotation thereof. 2. In a device of the class described, a support having a portion associated therewith and projecting therefrom, said projecting portion being adapted to have an annular strainer element mounted thereon for rotation about its axis, said portion having means associated therewith for directing fluid under pressure outwardly through a strainer element mounted thereon, said support having an annular flange thereon arranged substantially concentric of said projecting portion, a member associated with said support and movable between a loading position and an operating position and being adapted in the loading position to permit a strainer element to be mounted on or removed from said projecting portion, said member having an annular flange thereon which when the member is in the operating position is disposed substantially concentric of the said projecting portion, the flanges on the support and on said member being adapted to extend into annular grooves in the ends of a strainer element mounted on said projecting portion to' prevent undesired escape of fluid around the ends of the strainerelement, and means for rotating the strainer element at a high speed while fluid under pressure is forced radially outwardly therethrough whereby substantial centrifugal'force is'developed which supplements the action of the fluid under pressure in removing foreign matter from the said strainer element.

3. In a device of1the'clas's described, a'support having a portion associated therewith and projecting therefrom, said projecting portion being adapted to have an annular 'strainer element mounted thereon for rotation'about' its axis, said portion having'means associated therewith for directing fluid under pressure outwardly through a strainer element mounted thereon, said support having an' annular flange thereon arranged substantially concentric ofsaid projecting portion, a member associated with said support and movable between a loading position and an operating position and being adapted in the loading position to permit a strainer element to be mounted on'or removed from said projecting portion, said member having an annular flange thereon, which when the member is in the operating position is disposed substantially concen trio of the projecting'portion, the flanges on the support and on said member being adapted to extend into annular grooves in the ends of a strainer element mounted on said projecting portion to prevent undesired escape of fluid around the ends of the strainer element, and means for directing a stream of fluid under pressure tangentially of a strainer element mounted on said projecting portion to effect rapid rotation thereof while fluid under pressure is passed radially outwardly therethrough whereby substantial centrifugal force is developed which supplements the action of the fluid under pressure in removing foreign matter from the said strainer element.

WALTER B. KIRK. 

